Wednesday, 18 October 2017

Celebrated each year at the very end of this month,
October, Halloween has evolved into a day of activities
that kids really enjoy: such as trick-or-treating, carving
a pumpkin into a lantern as well as ghosts, witches and
ghouls costume parties!

If you're looking for design inspiration to create your own home
decorations and gifts out of wire and beads (plus spider charms),
there are plenty to find online and below are a few tutorials that
I have taught over the years that I thought I would share with you ...

Sunday, 1 October 2017

The wearing of charms began as a form of talisman,
to ward off evil spirits, or bad fortune. Like lucky
mascots, medieval knights were said to have worn
charms for their protection before going into battle.

However the popularity of charm bracelets, as we
know them today, began in the 1950's, as gifts for
a girl's 16th or 18th birthday. The nature of these
bracelets, meant that new charms could be collected
and added and old ones could be removed and kept.
This meant that women could change and adapt their
bracelets on a daily basis to express their own mood
and thoughts for that day. That, and the fact that
you can personalise each piece, has retained their
immense popularity over the years!

You can of course, purchase beautiful cast charms from bead
suppliers, but you can also doodle with your wire to create your
own shapes and squiggles to make unique jewellery. If you have
any cut offs of 0.8mm wire, don't throw them away! Spiral, or
bend them into new forms, then tap them with a hammer on your
block and 'hey presto!' you've made your own unique
DOODLE CHARM!

Above, are a few I made earlier! All of these shapes are between
1cm-2cm, they need to be small and compact, so that they don't
fall apart, or catch on clothing when worn.

For the bracelet, you can use ready made chain, or you can create
your own figure of '8' chain links:

Stepped pliers are ideal for helping ensure that the links stay a
similar size. Then make some jump rings from the same wire spool.

Once you have created enough chain links, hammer them on your
block to work harden them.

Now, you're ready to connect the 'figure of 8' links to the jump
rings, alternating them as you go. Create this chain about one
inch (2.5cm) shorter than the overall length required (to allow
for the clasp).

You can create a 'T' bar clasp with the 0.8mm wire, the top being
a central cross-over link with spirals on each side, attached to a
short, straight, stem link. The 'eye' of the clasp is a wrapped loop.

Then it's just a question of attaching and suspending your
hand made 'doodle'charms and some beads from the handmade
chain...

One simple charm on a threaded bead nugget bracelet, can
also be very effective. (Above, you can see another Whammered
style "T-bar"clasp I often like to create for bracelets).

If you enjoy braiding and Kumihimo, attach your own doodle
charm through the cord. Here, I wanted to show how you could
accessories your wire charms by glueing a small cabochon stone,
(or flat-backed crystal).